| The focus of this dissertation is on studying the properties of molecules that emerge in the context of a living cell. In this chapter, historical perspectives on the problem of understanding life's complexity and emergent properties are described. A review of the literature on the autophagy pathway in general and the protein called LC3 in particular is then given. Introductions to the topics of modern experimental approaches for studying molecules in living cells using fluorescence microscopy will be given. Finally, an overview of the specific questions that are investigated is provided. (Abstract shortened by UMI.). |
